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descend by holding to branches and sliding all the way down that slope。
She heard the horses cracking the brush； snorting and heaving。 One pack
slipped and had to be removed from the horse； and rolled down。 At the
bottom of this deep； green…walled notch roared a stream of water。
Shadowed； cool； mossy； damp； this narrow gulch seemed the wildest place
Ellen had ever seen。 She could just see the sunset…flushed； gold…tipped
spruces far above her。 The men repacked the horse that had slipped his
burden； and once more resumed their progress ahead； now turning up this
canyon。 There was no horse trail； but deer and bear trails were
numerous。 The sun sank and the sky darkened； but still the men
rode on； and the farther they traveled the wilder grew the aspect
of the canyon。
At length Colter broke a way through a heavy thicket of willows and
entered a side canyon； the mouth of which Ellen had not even descried。
It turned and widened； and at length opened out into a round pocket；
apparently inclosed； and as lonely and isolated a place as even pursued
rustlers could desire。 Hidden by jutting wall and thicket of spruce
were two old log cabins joined together by roof and attic floor； the
same as the double cabin at the Jorth ranch。
Ellen smelled wood smoke； and presently； on going round the cabins；
saw a bright fire。 One man stood beside it gazing at Colter's party；
which evidently he had heard approaching。
〃Hullo； Queen！〃 said Colter。 How's Tad？〃
〃He's holdin' on fine；〃 replied Queen； bending over the fire；
where he turned pieces of meat。
〃Where's father？〃 suddenly asked Ellen； addressing Colter。
As if he had not heard her； he went on wearily loosening a pack。
Queen looked at her。 The light of the fire only partially shone on
his face。 Ellen could not see its expression。 But from the fact that
Queen did not answer her question she got further intimation of an
impending catastrophe。 The long； wild ride had helped prepare her for
the secrecy and taciturnity of men who had resorted to flight。 Perhaps
her father had been delayed or was still off on the deadly mission that
had obsessed him； or there might； and probably was； darker reason for
his absence。 Ellen shut her teeth and turned to the needs of her horse。
And presently。 returning to the fire； she thought of her uncle。
〃Queen； is my uncle Tad heah？〃 she asked。
〃Shore。 He's in there；〃 replied Queen； pointing at the nearer cabin。
Ellen hurried toward the dark doorway。 She could see how the logs of
the cabin had moved awry and what a big； dilapidated hovel it was。
As she looked in； Colter loomed over herplaced a familiar and somehow
masterful hand upon her。 Ellen let it rest on her shoulder a moment。
Must she forever be repulsing these rude men among whom her lot was cast？
Did Colter mean what Daggs had always meant？ Ellen felt herself weary；
weak in body； and her spent spirit had not rallied。 Yet； whatever Colter
meant by his familiarity； she could not bear it。 So she slipped out
from under his hand。
〃Uncle Tad； are y'u heah？〃 she called into the blackness。 She heard
the mice scamper and rustle and she smelled the musty； old； woody odor
of a long…unused cabin。
〃Hello； Ellen！〃 came a voice she recognized as her uncle's； yet it
was strange。 〃Yes。 I'm heahbad luck to me！ 。 。 。 How 're y'u
buckin' up； girl？〃
〃I'm all right； Uncle Tadonly tired an' worried。 I〃
〃Tad； how's your hurt？〃 interrupted Colter。
〃Reckon I'm easier；〃 replied Jorth； wearily； 〃but shore I'm in bad shape。
I'm still spittin' blood。 I keep tellin' Queen that bullet lodged in my
lungs…but he says it went through。〃
〃Wal； hang on； Tad！〃 replied Colter； with a cheerfulness Ellen sensed
was really indifferent。
〃Oh； what the hell's the use！〃 exclaimed Jorth。 〃It's allup
with usColter！〃
〃Wal； shut up； then；〃 tersely returned Colter。 〃It ain't doin'
y'u or us any good to holler。〃
Tad Jorth did not reply to this。 Ellen heard his breathing and it did
not seem natural。 It rasped a littlecame hurriedlythen caught in
his throat。 Then he spat。 Ellen shrunk back against the door。
He was breathing through blood。
〃Uncle； are y'u in pain？〃 she asked。
〃Yes； Ellenit burns like hell；〃 he said。
〃Oh！ I'm sorry。 。 。 。 Isn't there something I can do？〃
〃I reckon not。 Queen did all anybody could do for menow
unless it's pray。〃
Colter laughed at thisthe slow； easy； drawling laugh of a Texan。
But Ellen felt pity for this wounded uncle。 She had always hated him。
He had been a drunkard； a gambler； a waster of her father's property；
and now he was a rustler and a fugitive； lying in pain； perhaps
mortally hurt。
〃Yes； uncleI will pray for y'u；〃 she said； softly。
The change in his voice held a note of sadness that she had been
quick to catch。
〃Ellen； y'u're the only good Jorthin the whole damned lot；〃 he said。
〃God！ I see it all now。 。 。 。 We've dragged y'u to hell！〃
〃Yes； Uncle Tad； I've shore been dragged somebut not yetto hell；〃
she responded； with a break in her voice。
〃Y'u will beEllenunless〃
〃Aw； shut up that kind of gab； will y'u？〃 broke in Colter； harshly。
It amazed Ellen that Colter should dominate her uncle； even though he
was wounded。 Tad Jorth had been the last man to take orders from anyone；
much less a rustler of the Hash Knife Gang。 This Colter began to loom
up in Ellen's estimate as he loomed physically over her； a lofty figure；
dark motionless； somehow menacing。
〃Ellen； has Colter told y'u yetabootaboot Lee an' Jackson？〃
inquired the wounded man。
The pitch…black darkness of the cabin seemed to help fortify Ellen
to bear further trouble。
〃Colter told me dad an' Uncle Jackson would meet us heah；〃 she rejoined；
hurriedly。
Jorth could be heard breathing in difficulty； and he coughed and
spat again； and seemed to hiss。
〃Ellen； he lied to y'u。 They'll never meet usheah！〃
〃Why not？〃 whispered Ellen。
〃BecauseEllen 〃 he replied； in husky pants； 〃your dad an'uncle
Jacksonare daidan' buried！〃
If Ellen suffered a terrible shock it was a blankness； a deadness；
and a slow； creeping failure of sense in her knees。 They gave way
under her and she sank on the grass against the cabin wall。 She did
not faint nor grow dizzy nor lose her sight； but for a while there was
no process of thought in her mind。 Suddenly then it was therethe
quick； spiritual rending of her heartfollowed by a profound emotion
of intimate and irretrievable lossand after that grief and bitter
realization。
An hour later Ellen found strength to go to the fire and partake of
the food and drink her body sorely needed。
Colter and the men waited on her solicitously； and in silence； now and
then stealing furtive glances at her from under the shadow of their
black sombreros。 The dark night settled down like a blanket。 There
were no stars。 The wind moaned fitfully among the pines； and all about
that lonely； hidden recess was in harmony with Ellen's thoughts。
〃Girl； y'u're shore game；〃 said Colter； admiringly。 〃An' I reckon
y'u never got it from the Jorths。〃
〃Tad in therehe's game；〃 said Queen； in mild protest。
〃Not to my notion；〃 replied Colter。 〃Any man ca